King James Daily Bible Study: Thou Art My Refuge
Date: Sunday March 20, 2011
Chapters: Joshua 20-21
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-march-20
Details of Today's Reading: Cities of refuge and land divisions, portions are given for the Levites from each tribe.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
The word refuge is defined as a shelter or protection from danger, trouble, or anything to which one has support for aid, relief, or escape. There have been or will be times in our lives where we feel as though no one is on our side, that we are left to fend for ourselves and deal with something on our own. Can I tell you that we can find refuge in God. The Bible says, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living...Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.” - Psalm 142:3-5,7.

God commanded that cities of refuge be given from each tribe amongst the land they inherited. A city of refuge was a place where anyone could go if they had been accused of murder to escape the wrath of the family out to get him while awaiting trial.

“And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.” - Joshua 20:4-6.

This is an amazing illustration of Christ in two ways, first, He gives us a place of refuge, our refuge comes when we stand at the entrance of the gate, confess that we are a sinner, and ask Him to save us, then He accepts us and saves us from death and hell. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” - I John 5:11,12.

Second, when the high priest died the accuser would be set free, allowed to return to their home and family. Christ, being our high priest, when He died on the cross, enabled all who believe in Him to be set free, to return to there home and family. That home is none other than the Kingdom of God, that family, God's, by whom we are made heirs with Christ when we ask Him to save us. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” - Titus 3:5-7.

The Levites patiently waited for all the tribes to receive their inheritance before going to Joshua and asking him for a place to dwell among them. Since they were not given a part of the inheritance of the land God commanded that every tribe give a portion of theirs for them to dwell on. This was done for two reasons, one they served God in the ministry, which meant they set up the tabernacle and kept it clean, while the priests would receive the offerings, so, it was done as a way to give thanks. Two, it was a way for the people to have a man of God near by to be able to minister to him at any time rather than have to make the journey, sometimes long, to Shiloh. Now, each tribe gave a portion of their land to the Levites.

“Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel; And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle. And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs..All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs. These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus were all these cities. And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.” - Joshua 21:1-3,41-43.

There is an inheritance provided for all saints, God’s royal, priesthood, whom are all who have come to Him for refuge, but if they want to receive it they must ask for it through the true Joshua, who is Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” - Matthew 7:7,8.

God will give us anything we ask, especially the things He promises, but the key is asking, He will not give us anything if we do not ask Him for it. My nephew asked me the other day, “No one can control us, but God, right?” I replied, “Not even God can control us, only we can control us.” God can not and will not force a person to come to Him, He might send hints and place every person and thing before you as a reminder that He is still around, but He will not force you to follow His commands or accept His Son. We do that of our own free will, no one can be saved unless they ask to be saved. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation...For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:9,10,13.

We do not need to feel all alone or try to handle everything on our own, God is there for us, He is our refuge, but if we do not ask, we do not receive. He will let us deal with it by ourselves unless we seek Him for help. However, there does come a time when He comes to us and just says, “You have gone through enough, it's time you let Me help.” That is when you can say, “ I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living...Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.” - Psalm 142:3-5,7. It took me two years of suffering before I went to God and when I did it was the best thing I ever did. He picked me up, reassured me that He was really never gone, but I needed to see that for myself, He gave me refuge and that is where I have been ever since, almost seven years now and counting. Praise God!

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through Eleazar, the chief priest (21:1). Jesus is our high (chief) priest. “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” - Hebrews 9:11,12.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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